1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barge system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an oil spill recovery shuttle barge system comprising a plurality of portable, interchangeable barges for use in cleaning up marine oil spills.
2. Description of the Related Art
Marine spills of oil, petroleum, and other products pose significant ecological problems. Several major marine spills in recent years have proven to be disastrous to the environment, wildlife, and local economies along the affected coast lines.
Several types of oil spill recovery vessels are known, including a variety of ships, boats, and barges, having differing capabilities and hull shapes. These vessels typically use an array of equipment including skimming devices, pumps, cranes, and oil storage tanks to accomplish their recovery task.
Existing oil spill recovery vessels, however, suffer from a variety of shortcomings which limit their use in many marine spill environments. The majority of vessels, for example, are relatively non-portable. If a marine spill occurs in waters inaccessible from the navigable waters in which the vessel is located, the vessel cannot reach the scene of the spill. Existing vessels, moreover, typically are not equipped to operate in extremely shallow water, such as very close to a coast line.
Most existing vessels are not equipped to operate in a Grade B spill environment, which is a spill containing flammable liquids such as gasoline or kerosene.
Existing vessels also have a limited storage capacity, requiring them to leave the scene of a marine spill to discharge the recovered oil products, which results in a much longer period of time to complete cleanup of the spill. This longer period is particularly troublesome because, during the delay, the spill continues to spread and/or sink to the bottom.
Coast Guard regulations and lessons learned from cleaning up past marine spills near shore indicate a need for a marine spill recovery vessel capable of: responding to spills in shallow waters; being quickly and safely assembled; operating in one to two feet of water with a swift current; beaching without damage to the vessel hull; anchoring in a fashion that permits the vessel to get underway rapidly; recovering Grade B spill contaminants; being transportable over roads without special permits; and working continuously to recover spilled contaminants with minimal stopping to discharge recovered products.